P​hysio body HOLISTICs

Since I started doing massage therapy I created a style unique to my own person and many people have asked what kind of massage it is? The answer is that I use a combination of different modalities to suit each client on each visit. I choose to describe it as structural therapy, with a focus on correcting issues in the body and in the process we relieve your symptoms while still keeping it holistic - which means the Whole Body. Below are descriptions of what I have been trained to do and what I may use in your session if I feel necessary. When you come in to see me you will see the sign on my door that says Neuromuscular Integration that is what I consider my style of massage combining some or all of the styles below. You will also see Physio Architecture which is my Trade Mark of using Massage, Movement, Nutrition, Sauna, Steam, Hydrotherapy & any other Naturopathic Modality that will enhance your vitality for many years to come.

Trigger Point Therapy - Janet Travell spend thousands of hours learning about the points of the muscle that created pain and discomfort when the nervous system via the muscular system was in overload. Trigger points are a very important part of my work as when they are present it is significant evidence that there is strain and counterstain throughout the entire anatomy. Finding trigger points helps me to understand where I can start first to relieve pain and then continue on to relieve stresses that are direct and indirect.

Myofascial Release - Myofascial release is focused on releasing the muscle tissue ("myo-") and correcting imbalances in the connective tissue ("fascia"). The muscle and the connective tissue combined as a unit is called myofascia. The myofascia is often responsible for restrictions, pain, and other imbalances within the body. Myofascial release utilizes gentle to firm pressure with time to achieve its results. Myofascial release is also a part of many other massage modalities including; structural integration, neuromuscular therapy, deep tissue massage, soft tissue release, etc.

Myofascial Release is a safe and very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion. This essential “time element” has to do with the viscous flow and the piezoelectric phenomenon: a low load (gentle pressure) applied slowly will allow a viscoelastic medium (fascia) to elongate.

Trauma, inflammatory responses, and/or surgical procedures create Myofascial restrictions that can produce tensile pressures of approximately 2,000 pounds per square inch on pain sensitive structures that do not show up in many of the standard tests (x-rays, myelograms, CAT scans, electromyography, etc.)

The use of Myofascial Release allows us to look at each patient as a unique individual. Our one-on-one therapy sessions are hands-on treatments during which our therapists use a multitude of Myofascial Release techniques and movement therapy. We promote independence through education in proper body mechanics and movement, self treatment instruction, enhancement of strength, improved flexibility, and postural and movement awareness.

Hands-On Treatment

Each Myofascial Release Treatment session is performed directly on skin without oils, creams or machinery. This enables the therapist to accurately detect fascial restrictions and apply the appropriate amount of sustained pressure to facilitate release of the fascia.

Structural Bodywork- Structural Bodywork focuses on realignment of the body for optimum efficiency. Most all structural bodywork is accomplished by affecting the fascia or myofascia. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds the muscles, bones, organs, etc. of the body, and helps to maintain the relationship of these structures to each other in space. By finding where the fascia is shortened improperly, or is restricted, we can make corrections that will allow you to move more comfortably and with less effort. As structures of the body move more freely, the pain felt due to the restrictions, or improper relationship of body parts subside. Structural bodywork was brought to public attention by Dr. Ida Rolf. Her study and teaching brought about Structural Integration which is realignment of the body within the field of gravity. While sometimes we are working to realign the full body within gravity, other times my clients just want to work on one problem area, such as a troublesome shoulder. When we are more focused like this, the work is more properly called structural bodywork, and not structural integration.

Structural Integration - Structural Integration is similar to structural bodywork in the goal of realigning the body, but is more specifically trying to optimize the body in the field of gravity. It also is not focused on correcting "problems" or symptoms, but rather is working to improve the system as a whole unit. Structural Integration typically also has a specific sequence of sessions called a series, with the most typical series consisting of 12 unique sessions. Each session has a set of goals that works toward improving the whole system, and each session builds upon the work achieved in the previous session(s). For a more detailed look at Structural Integration, click here.

St. John NeuroMuscular Therapy - Neuromuscular therapy utilizes the principles of some neurological and physiological laws, to understand why the body comes to dysfunction. As such, neuromuscular therapy focuses on areas of your body that lack proper blood flow (i.e. ischemia) and areas that refer pain (i.e. trigger points). For a much more detailed look at St. John Neuromuscular Therapy, click here.

Deep Tissue Massage - There is a confusion in the massage community (and public) regarding deep tissue massage. Deep tissue massage is massage directed at the deeper layers/muscles in the body (such as psoas, multifidi, rotatores, obterator internus, etc.). Heavy pressure massage is massage that uses a lot of force to work into the body. Many people think that they are the same, but there is a distinct difference. One can do deep tissue work with light pressure or force, if the body is ready to recieve that kind of work. In this way, the deep structures can be released without any negative consequences (usually inflammation). While heavy pressue massage can get to the deeper structures by brute force, you often are irritating all the layers that you are working through. My experience shows me that the body is like an onion in the sense that if you want to work more deeply, you need to work out the layers above it... one layer at a time. This yeilds the best results, which are most long lasting.

Soft Tissue Release - Soft tissue release is a unique combination of pinning a muscle while using Active Isolated Stretching to facilitate the release of the contracted muscle. This is similar to the pin-and-stretch technique, but it also uses the nervous system to facilitate the relaxation of the muscle being released.

Muscle Energy Technique - Muscle energy technique uses the body's own antagonistic muscle releasing feed-back loops (in the nervous system) to help facilitate the release a tight muscle. It combines opposing muscle contractions at specific lines of stress in the muscle, as well as specific stretching to achieve results.

Manual Lymph Drainage - Manual lymph drainage is focused on making the lymph system of the body more efficient, and relieving its blockages. The lymph system is responsible for uptake of waste fluids from between cells, reducing inflammation, and also plays a key role in the body's immune system (since it acts as a storage facility for white blood cells).

Pin and Stretch - (a.k.a. Active Release Therapy, or ART) Pin and stretch is a technique where the therapist will lock (i.e. pin) some soft tissue in place while lengthening (i.e. stretching) the same soft tissue. This has the effect of reducing restrictions that are located within the tissue. You can think of it as being similar to using a rolling pin to roll out and lengthen bread dough, though the action of pin and stretch is a bit different than that of using the rolling pin.

Contract Relax Stretching PNF and Active Isolated Stretching - Both of these methods of stretching utilize the body's nervous system to facilitate relaxation in the muscle you are trying to lengthen. These are sometimes handy in creating release during your massage session.